


This Feeling Flows Both Ways

by number7even



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Coming Out, Getting Together, M/M, Substance Abuse, but i couldn’t rlly find one, i love him tho, im still not sure where he stands on the spectrum, ive been wanting to read a fic like this so bad, klaus is a disaster gay, or bi?, so i wrote my own!, some vietnam flashbacks bb!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-23
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2019-11-28 16:01:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18210485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/number7even/pseuds/number7even
Summary: Klaus is tired of waiting.Dave is tired of hiding.





	This Feeling Flows Both Ways

**Author's Note:**

> as always, i barely edit so please bear with any and all mistakes
> 
> this also isn’t beta’d and i’m looking for someone to beta future works! hmu if interested 
> 
> anyways have fun in a club in vietnam :)

War was mostly waiting. Waiting for the enemy to strike, waiting to strike the enemy. Waiting for your lookout shift to be over so you could fall into a restless sleep for a couple hours. Every soldier treasured those hours. Klaus found them boring.

The Seance had always been prone to distraction. He needed to do something every hour of the day. Most of the time it was drugs, but he liked to think if that damned addiction didn’t have such a hold on him he’d occupy himself with more quiet hobbies. Mom taught him basically every kind of way to knit, crochet and sew; Klaus especially remembered how pleased she was when he made his first scarf. He wondered if the pride she showed him was real or just a product of binary code written by the old man. He decided it was best not to think about it.

Klaus always offered to cover for his buddies and let them sleep for a little while longer. He had picked up some card tricks from a cadet in the mess hall. The young cadet was now probably at home, in a wheelchair, wishing he had his deck to distract him from the stump below his knee.

During his shift Klaus would shuffle the stolen deck and count them. 52 cards. He counted each card in a suit. 13 cards each. It was enough to keep him entertained but not enough to distract him from the job at hand. As much apathy as Klaus had for his present-day military institution, he had grown somewhat attached to these rowdy soldiers he’d call his friends. Sure, in Klaus’ future they would probably want him dead, but they were his companions; they had each other’s back. He wanted to protect them.

Which is why Klaus agreed to go to the club with Dave. It was a Saturday, the troop was in some generously populated city, and they had been pleasing their lieutenant well enough. He also just enjoyed Dave’s company. He was intelligent, funny, and wasn’t afraid to have a debate or disagree with what someone was saying. That had happened a few times between the two, but it had always ended in some laughs and offers to buy the other a drink.

It also helped that Dave was severely good-looking. Among the troop he was always teased about having a girl back home, but he brushed them off and maintained that he was a bachelor. Of course that meant the spread of a rumor, not spread verbally but by questioning glances and suspicious hums. Besides that Dave was quite popular; Klaus felt special that he was the only guy asked to go out.

\- -

He forgot how much his nose burned after. The good thing, or bad thing if you’re Klaus, about war is that there are hardly any sources for drugs. But this club was a freaking goldmine. Coke, pot, stickers to place on your tongue and digest with visions of rainbows and electric lights. Klaus hadn’t felt this happy since the last time he’d gotten high. He forgot when that was.

The night passed by in a haze of bodies and substances. Dave and Klaus each found respective dance partners and didn’t see each other for a few hours. Klaus was levitating; laughing at nothing with a girl whose name he didn’t know and dancing in the most sixties outfit he’s had the pleasure of wearing. He was picking up the current dance moves like a pro and making friends with all the bartenders. He ignored the wink he got from the waiter; he wasn’t interested.

The place was small. Intimate. So although Klaus and Dave hadn’t seen each other in some time, they were bound to bump into each other at some point. Delirious guitars were swaying through the air and Klaus was dancing to the slow and easygoing beat. He was taking a few steps backward when he found Dave next to him. This was different. Maybe it was the highs they were on, or the music of the club, but the way Dave stared at him through heavy-lidded eyes brought him back to the future. Where he could love who he wanted and have only a slight chance of some asshole shaming him for it. The soldier looked his eyes over the unwilling time traveler and stopped his gaze at Klaus’ lips. Klaus couldn’t help but smile. So it was true.

Dave saw his eureka moment. His face panicked and Klaus could see his mind going to fight or flight. The choice was obvious when Dave quickly turned away and weaved through the crowd, getting as far away from Klaus as possible. The club went right along, not missing a beat, ignorant to the recent developments between two certain United States soldiers.

Klaus understood. He’d wait for him.

\- -

Finding the bathroom was predictably difficult. It was deep within the labyrinth of the back halls of the club and was smaller than an average custodian closet. Klaus did his business and washed his hands (he was a drug addict, not an animal) and took another hit of very effective Vietnamese cocaine. Sniffing, he walked out of the bathroom and attempted to find his way back to the dance room. He eventually found the entrance to the party, but found himself staying in the hall and leaning against its wall. He could feel the hard drumming of the music and see the warm strobe lights which were distorted by the orange curtain acting as the door. It was almost peaceful.

After a few minutes the curtain was pulled back and Dave entered the hallway. He didn’t seem surprised to find Klaus there. He looked hesitant, but leaned against the wall next to Klaus.

“Couldn’t go on with the party without me?” asked Klaus, bumping shoulders with his friend.

“Yeah, something like that.”

“Your dance partner upset you left?”

“Nah,” Dave picked at a hangnail. “I think she was a lesbian, anyway.

Klaus turned his head to look at his friend. The first time any of the soldiers mentioned sexuality. “Really?” he asked.

Dave nodded. “Was all too happy to be left alone with her friend,” he smiled, “but I get it.” He looked up from his hand to meet his eyes with Klaus’. He gave him a Glance.

“Are you,” Klaus started, “cool with that?” They didn’t break their staring contest.

Dave’s mouth twitched upward. “I should be.”

Klaus squinted at him. Well, that was cryptic. He decided to try out his theory.

“Everyone should be,” said Klaus. Testing the waters. Dave nodded. The staring contest continued.

“Are you-?”

“Yes.” Klaus interrupted him. He was getting too desperate. Be suave, damnit! There was a pause. Still staring. Klaus decided on a lame attempt at a joke.

“Well,” he smirked, “I showed you mine.” Dave let out a pitiful laugh at that. But Klaus could tell it was genuine.

“So... are you-?”

“ _Yes_.” Dave interrupted. Klaus waited. He didn’t want to make the first move. He didn’t want to be wrong about this. So he waited for Dave to do something, anything. The Seance moved his head so it was rested against the wall. Dave’s eyes followed him, now staring down to meet his gaze. Dave quietly cleared his throat. He was maintaining eye contact, his face was soft, but his shoulders were tense. He was scared. Klaus couldn’t wait anymore.

“Hey,” Klaus whispered, touching his hand to Dave’s arm. “if you don’t want-“ Dave shook his head. He didn’t say anything, but started something.

Dave’s right hand moved slowly upward. Klaus didn’t move his gaze from Dave’s eyes, and neither did the other. The back of Dave’s hand reached Klaus’ chest and he rested it there, right on his heart. Klaus couldn’t remember the last time something other than drugs made his heartbeat race this much.

“I want to,” Dave confided, “I really, really do. Just…” he hesitated. It suddenly dawned on Klaus.

“You’ve never done this before.”

Dave pulled his bottom lip between his teeth. He was embarrassed. “Not really, no.” Klaus breathed out a sigh, smiling. He moved his hand up from Dave’s arm to touch his cheek. Holy _crap_ , he had the bone structure of a God. He told him this. Dave laughed.

They stared at each other for a few minutes after that, taking in the presence of the other. Maybe it was the music, or the drugs, or Dave, but Klaus had never felt this high in his entire life. Dave moved closer to him and lowered his head. His arms snakes around Klaus’ waist and both breathed out a relaxed sigh. Their eyes smiled and closed when their lips finally met.

\- -

“What was her name?”

“ _His_ name was Dave.”

**Author's Note:**

> HEY GUYS. 
> 
> SO, i didn’t want to put this in my one shot collection bc it’s so much longer than what i would usually write so i gave it its own work!
> 
> thank you so much for reading!!
> 
> title is from Do I Wanna Know by the arctic monkeys
> 
> comments and kudos are appreciated!


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